Steelers Fans Should Keep an Eye on Keenan Lewis

If you're looking for a lesser-known rookie in Steelers camp worth keeping an eye on as training camp begins, the player to watch apparently is Keenan Lewis.

The Steelers' third-round pick out of Oregon State was mentioned as a dark horse for team rookie of the year by Steelers' beat writer Jim Wexell. Now SI.com's John Lopez has also singled him out as a rookie who could make an impact.

The scouting report on Lewis was that he had very good size and good enough speed. Apparently he has pretty decent instincts as well. The good news is that more than almost any other position, cornerback is one where how a player looks in shorts and a helmet isn't that different from how they look in a full-contact practice. Unlike linemen, linebackers, running backs and wide receivers, it's more about how they react to the ball and the receiver then how they react to hitting and being hit.

Lewis may be a promising rookie, but it's worth noting that he's also less likely than any of the Steelers other top picks to dress on gameday this year. While Ziggy Hood will almost assuredly play as a backup defensive end and speedy wide receiver Mike Wallace has a chance to be the team's kick returner/No. 4 receiver, Lewis doesn't have a clear path to a spot with playing time this year. The Steelers likely will dress eight defensive backs on gameday. Ike Taylor, William Gay, Deshea Townsend, Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark and Tyrone Carter have six of those spots seemingly locked up, while safety Ryan Mundy is a pretty safe bet for the seventh. That leaves Lewis battling fellow rookie Joe Burnett (who can also return kicks and punts) and Anthony Madison for that potential eighth spot.